The Academy III: Tournament of Champions

#3 in the The Academy Series

Leo and his Lewisham Knights teammates were able to save their team from extinction last season only to find out they are in jeopardy AGAIN thanks to a division reshuffle. Now, they must win the Tournament of Champions in order to stay a team. They must deal with a new teammate, a saboteur, and lots of pressure. Can Leo and his team pull it all together to win and stay a team?

• THE WORLD CUP IS BEING HOSTED BY THE USA/CANADA/MEXICO: With many cities in the USA hosting 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup games, this series about a fictional soccer team will MAKE WAVES! Cities hosting: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco/Bay Area.
• GOOOOOAAAALLLL!: This is THE new sports series for middle grade readers, especially soccer fans that are clamoring for books that don't just involve soccer but imbue all things soccer from its core -- moment by moment plays, cool tricks, FIFA tournaments, and most importantly, the possibility of playing professionally. Lots of soccer stats and facts and data trends for the sports nerds as well!
• Why This Book is Needed: It'll help get boys (and other reluctant readers) reading, it has a hilarious voice, a spunky boy protagonist, an underdog team that travels the globe, and coming-of-age themes like becoming a leader, new experiences, and fighting the odds.
• Exciting, Soccer Dad Author: T. Z. Layton, who also writes adult horror under his real name, Layton Green, is a soccer dad, youth coach, former collegiate player, and lifelong fan of the beautiful game and it is EXTREMELY evident in his writing. He is an Arsenal fan.
• More on the Horizon: Expect even more sports middle grade fiction in the future (8 books expected within the series). Plus, a multi-million dollar film deal has been made! Layton also has an upcoming girl's volleyball series in the works.

Praise for The Academy: